A Condensed History of Hayfield Hawks Football
Acknowledgment: This is a work in progress and it is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive history. This condensed account would not have been possible without the contributions made by former Head Coaches John Tompkins, Billy Pugh, and Roy Hill, Mr. Steve Herbert (a member of the first Hayfield graduating class), Warren Broomer, Ryan Daugirda, Juan Navas, and other alumni. If you would like to contribute additional factual information, accounts, or pictures, please contact us.
The Beginning
Just like the school, Hayfield's football program was established in 1968. Reportedly, a member of the faculty was a University of Tennessee graduate which lead to orange and white being selected as the school colors. "Volunteers" may have also been considered for the nickname, but eventually the Hawks was selected.
Hayfield fielded a freshman and JV squad in 1968 but did not face any varsity competition. In 1969 they competed against a mix of JV and varsity teams. For lack of a better term, this hybrid squad finished the season with an 8-2 record (2-2 record against varsity competition). In the JV games, the squad went a perfect 6-0 against their new Gunston District rivals that included Edison, Fort Hunt, Groveton, Lee, Mount Vernon, and West Springfield. The varsity games were played against teams from outside the county that included Norfolk Academy, Rockville, Broad Run, and Woodberry Forest. Jim Walthall, a WWII Army veteran and standout quarterback from West Virginia University was the first Hayfield head coach from 1968-1977, amassing a varsity record of 38-42-4.
In 1970, Hayfield competed in a full varsity schedule winning their opening game against Oakton 18-16 and compiling a 5-4-1 season record. In 1971 the team's record was 6-4 with one of the losses coming against the eventual state champion, T.C. Williams. A movie titled "Remember the Titans" was produced to tell the story of the fabled 1971 T.C. squad. Hayfield more than held their own against T.C. in the game, trailing 7-12 in the fourth quarter, but eventually fell 7-26. T.C. had more shutouts that year than total touchdowns they allowed the entire season, so it was a close game for sure. Although a very entertaining film, there are some historical inaccuracies. For one, Hayfield was not a segregated school.
The 1972 Hawks finished the season with a 7-2-1 record. The Hawks would only have two more winning seasons during the decade, with an overall record of 42-53-5. It was during this time that a number of rivalries, primarily against schools in the Springfield area, had their origins. The most prominent were the Edison Eagles, the Lee Lancers, the Mount Vernon Majors and to a lesser extent the Spartans from West Springfield.
The 1978 squad, coached by Frank Bedont, was a very talented team that finished the season with a 6-4 record, coming in second place and just missed the playoffs. It featured a number of talented players, including Billy Paine, Phil Wilson, Warren Broomer, Doug Nork, and Jerry Newfang, who were named to the All-Potomac 1st, 2nd, 3rd teams.
In 1979 the Hawks posted a record of 4-5-1. However, this team had a number of players recognized by the Washington Post All-Met/All-League selections from the Gunston District. This included Joe Delauder who was recognized as an offensive end and punter, and offensive end Mike Laychak. On defense tackle John Stone and linebacker Hank Wood were selected. According to folks who graduated with Hank Wood, he was one the most physical and feared players throughout the area.
Hayfield fielded a freshman and JV squad in 1968 but did not face any varsity competition. In 1969 they competed against a mix of JV and varsity teams. For lack of a better term, this hybrid squad finished the season with an 8-2 record (2-2 record against varsity competition). In the JV games, the squad went a perfect 6-0 against their new Gunston District rivals that included Edison, Fort Hunt, Groveton, Lee, Mount Vernon, and West Springfield. The varsity games were played against teams from outside the county that included Norfolk Academy, Rockville, Broad Run, and Woodberry Forest. Jim Walthall, a WWII Army veteran and standout quarterback from West Virginia University was the first Hayfield head coach from 1968-1977, amassing a varsity record of 38-42-4.
In 1970, Hayfield competed in a full varsity schedule winning their opening game against Oakton 18-16 and compiling a 5-4-1 season record. In 1971 the team's record was 6-4 with one of the losses coming against the eventual state champion, T.C. Williams. A movie titled "Remember the Titans" was produced to tell the story of the fabled 1971 T.C. squad. Hayfield more than held their own against T.C. in the game, trailing 7-12 in the fourth quarter, but eventually fell 7-26. T.C. had more shutouts that year than total touchdowns they allowed the entire season, so it was a close game for sure. Although a very entertaining film, there are some historical inaccuracies. For one, Hayfield was not a segregated school.
The 1972 Hawks finished the season with a 7-2-1 record. The Hawks would only have two more winning seasons during the decade, with an overall record of 42-53-5. It was during this time that a number of rivalries, primarily against schools in the Springfield area, had their origins. The most prominent were the Edison Eagles, the Lee Lancers, the Mount Vernon Majors and to a lesser extent the Spartans from West Springfield.
The 1978 squad, coached by Frank Bedont, was a very talented team that finished the season with a 6-4 record, coming in second place and just missed the playoffs. It featured a number of talented players, including Billy Paine, Phil Wilson, Warren Broomer, Doug Nork, and Jerry Newfang, who were named to the All-Potomac 1st, 2nd, 3rd teams.
In 1979 the Hawks posted a record of 4-5-1. However, this team had a number of players recognized by the Washington Post All-Met/All-League selections from the Gunston District. This included Joe Delauder who was recognized as an offensive end and punter, and offensive end Mike Laychak. On defense tackle John Stone and linebacker Hank Wood were selected. According to folks who graduated with Hank Wood, he was one the most physical and feared players throughout the area.